understand the earth's carbon cycle

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Picarro, leading
manufacturer of high-performance trace gas analyzers based on patented
Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) technology today announced the general
availability of the EnviroSense 3000i atmospheric monitor.
EnviroSense 3000i is a field-deployable, real-time, ambient gas monitor
that measures atmospheric levels of methane and carbon dioxide with
parts-per-billion (ppbv) sensitivity and water vapor with parts-per-million
(ppmv) sensitivity.
"Researchers investigating global climate change need measurements of
greenhouse gases with extreme precision and accuracy to enable better
models of the carbon cycle," stated Dr. Eric Crosson, Chief Technology
Officer at Picarro. "The high accuracy, excellent precision and low
maintenance of EnviroSense 3000i make it ideally suited to address the
demanding requirements of atmospheric air-monitoring applications."
Existing atmospheric monitors based on non-dispersive infrared (NDIR)
sensors have known problems -- they are non-linear, sensitive to water
vapor concentration, and susceptible to drift. Furthermore, these
instruments require extensive modifications and sample conditioning,
frequent calibration, and significant post processing of the data.
In contrast, EnviroSense 3000i maintains high linearity, precision, and
accuracy over changing environmental conditions, with minimal calibration.
The unique capabilities of the underlying CRDS technology are complemented
by a superior analyzer design, including a high-precision wavelength
monitor providing immunity to interfering gases, meticulous temperature and
pressure control, and robust digital signal processing that transforms raw
data into directly useable information.
Deployment in several atmospheric monitoring and meteorological
facilities, including Penn State University, has shown that the analyzer
requires minimal recalibration and no sample conditioning.
"The EnviroSense 3000i analyzers are providing invaluable field
measurements," said Ken Davis, Associate Professor of Meteorology at Penn
State University. "High-precision and high-accuracy measurements of
atmospheric composition, like those acquired by the Picarro EnviroSense
analyzer, are essential to our ability to observe and understand the
earth's carbon cycle. Picarro has been very responsive to our scientific
needs." "We deployed 5 EnviroSense units in an experimental observational
network in the spring of 2007," said Scott Richardson, Research Associate
at Penn State, "and we have found the stability of the instruments to be
truly remarkable. The instruments should significantly simplify the task of
obtaining high-quality measurements of atmospheric composition."
EnviroSense 3000i is the first of a suite of analyzers designed to
support scientists who investigate global climate change. Two additional
monitors will be introduced shortly: EnviroSense 2000f, a flux methane and
carbon dioxide analyzer, and EnviroSense 2000i (isotopic CO2 and CH4).
About Picarro
Picarro instruments set new standards for sensitivity, speed,
selectivity and ease-of-use in trace gas detection, and enable our
customers to achieve dramatic improvements in measurement precision,
instrument size, reliability and cost of ownership. We serve the needs of
customers across a diverse range of markets. For more information, visit
our website (http://www.picarro.com) or email us at info@picarro.com.
Contacts: Luc Ceuppens Kathleen Hartnett
(408) 962-3965 (408) 962-3971
lceuppens@picarro.comkhartnett@picarro.com